Martin Muleya
In a stunning display of endurance and speed, Black Rhinos’ long distance runner Moses Tarakini and Fortunate Chidzivo made history by sweeping to victory for the second time at the 21km Vumba marathon race organized by Old Mutual.
The sold out-out event which attracted top athletes from as far as Botswana and Kenya, saw Tarakini and Chidzivo dominating the men’s and women’s categories respectively, leaving a trail of competitors in their wake.
Tarakini, the reigning champion, powered through the challenging course in a blistering time of 1 hour, 9 minutes 15 seconds, breaking his own record, set way back in 2022.
Chidzivo (37) showed her class and determination, clinching the women’s title in an impressive time of 1 hour 26 minutes 23 seconds, a personal best.
In second position was Kenyan Isaac Langcet who finished in 1 hour 9 minutes 52 seconds while Blessing Waison settled for the third position in 1 hour 11 minutes 36 seconds.
In the women’s category Caroline Mhandu came second clocking 1 hour 29 minutes 27 seconds while Phillipa Dube settled for the third position completing the race in 1 hour 30 minutes 11 seconds.
In an interview with National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) president Tendayi Tagara expressed gratitude for having athletes qualifying at the Olympics final. He noted that Zimbabwe was among the two countries in the world out of 214 countries with two athletes in the finals of the 200m at the Olympics.
“We were happy that Zimbabwe and USA were only the two countries with two athletes in the finals. That was a great achievement for us and in the next four years we are looking at the growth of the organization (NAAZ). We want to retain most of our sponsors so that the organization grows.
“Old Mutual Vumba marathon is one of our elite marathons on our calendar we are happy that it is continuing. We are having a new marathon in Harare as well,” said Tagara.
The Vumba marathon, known for its scenic and demanding course, has become a premier event in Zimbabwe’s athletics calendar, attracting top talent and enthusiastic supporters.
Old Mutual’s sponsorship has been instrumental in promoting the sport and encouraging athletes to excel. As Tarakini and Chidzivo celebrated their victories, they inspired countless others to lace up their running shoes and hit the roads, chasing their own dreams.
